Improvement in hat-presses



7 Sheets--Sheet 1.

R. EICKEMEYER.

Hat-Presses. l

`Na 140,335 Y Patented June 24,1873.

AM. PHuTo-Lrn/osRAPH/c ca Mdoso/wsls Pnocfss) 7Sheets--Sheet2` R. E'l CKEM EY ER.

' Hat-Presses. N0. 140,335, Parentedlunezmws.

7 Sheets--Sheet 3.

n. EIGKEMEYER.

Hat-Presses.

Patented )une 24,1873.

Miur-Sm.

AM. PHoro-z/rHaGHAPH/c co. uwassamf PROCESS.,

shersnsheerm R. El CKEM EY ER.

Hat-Presses.

No.140335l APatentedlune24,1873.

Y v7Sheets--Sheet R. El CKEM EY E R,

Hat-Presses.

Paented lune 24,1873.

- Sheets--Sheet 'l'. R. E|CKEMEYER Hat-Presses. N0. 140,335, Platentedlune24,l873.

UNITED STATES PATENT CEEIGE.,

RUDOLF EIOKEMEYER, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAT-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,335, dated June 24, 1873; application filed May 2.0, 1871.

To all Awhom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, RUDOLF EICKEMEYER, of Yonkers, in the count-y of Westchester and State ofN ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat-Presses and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and complete description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters ot' reference thereon.

My invention relates to that class of hatpresses which are commonly known as bagpresses, whereby hats are pressed in shape with great force by the pressure of water upon a diaphragm or flexible bag operating in connection with a die or mold. In these presses the hat is placed upon or within the die, the press-head containing the bag is then locked to the die, and the pressing effected by forcing water or other liquid into a cavity in the press-head behind the bag. In some bagpresses the pressure is applied to the iluid by forcing a plunger into the chamber ot' the press-head that contains the iluid. Although these presses operate with great power they are very slow and require a number of manipulations ofthe operator to press a hat. Nevertheless they have continued to be used because of the difliculty of properly pressing a hat between metallic dies, as in presses heretofore operated by mechanical devices. The object of my invention is to obtain an automatic press for pressing hats which combines the advantages derived from the mobility and incompressibility ot' the fluid and the flexibility or elasticity of the bag with the celerity and regularity ot a press operated by mechanical devices. To this end I discard the application of hydraulic pressure upon thebag through water or other liquids by a pump or a plunger, and avail myself of the mobility and practical incompressibility ot' a confined body of water or other liquid, as a support for the diaphragm, and operate the bag and die to press the hat by mechanical means. By regulating the quantity oi' water confined within the press-head, or by increasing or diminishing the cavity in the press-head occupied by the water, the pressure applied to press the hat may be regulated without changing the adjustment of the mechanical devices whereby the pressure is applied to the jaws of the press. d

I For the purpose of readily making a nice adjustment ofthe pressure at which the press is desired to work, I have. combined with the press-head a plunger, operated by an adjusting-screw, so as to increase or diminish the size of the cavity in the press-head by moving the plunger inward or outward.

The plunger may be packedv in any suitable manner, but preferably by a diaphragm secured across the plunger-opening and protected by wire-gauze, as shown in the drawlugs.

Although I prefer to use water, or any other similar incompressible fluid, within the bagpresser, I am aware that hour-glass sand, or other similar dry, even, and granulated solid matter, may be employed in that connection with approximate results, as the said granulated matter, although incompressible, can be made to assume, as a mass, to a greater or less degree, any forni or shape which may be presented thereto by the mold, and, in so far as it has the characteristic of a fluid to a sufcient degree to enable it thus to ada-pt itself to the required changes in the form ofthe bag or chamber, it would serve to that extent as a practical equivalent ot' the true uids, which are, however, believed to be preferable in most cases.

My improved press is designed for pressing felt hats and palm-leaf hats, which require a heavy pressure, and consequently air, or other elastic fluids, must be excluded from the contned body of waterused to support the bag; but in order to avoid the damage to tender hats that might. occur from the employment ot an absolutely unyielding support for the bag, I use a spring of India rubber or other suitable material adjusted to yield a little under a heavy pressure. This spring may be located in the press-head and form a part of the regulating-plunger, as shown in the drawings; or it may be applied in some other convenient part of the press; the object being merely to prevent the sudden application to a tender hat of the entire pressure exerted by the press; but this elasticity must be contined to a very limited movement of the spring under heavy pressure, otherwise the object ot' the press will'be defeated.

To prevent overstrai'nin g or breakage of the press, by reason of accidental greater bulk of an occasional hat than that to which the conned body of water is adjusted, and also to prevent injury to the hat, I have combined with the press-head a safety-valve communicating with the conned body of water in the press-head, and regulated by an adjustable pressure-spring so that a portion of the water may escape whenever the pressure exceeds the proper determined pressure. A pressuregage communicating with the confined body of water enables the operator to ascertain the pressure applied, inorder that he may regulate the quantity of water coni ned in the presshead to the pressure required.

Heretofore, in bag-presses, the rubber bag or diaphragm has been clamped to the presshead by clamping-surfaces, through which the clamping screw-bolts passed, thus necessitating cutting holes in the ange of the rubber bag and weakening the same, besides being a very troublesome way of putting on the bag. I have improved the bag-press by making the clamping wider, and forming it to t a shoulder on the press-head, so that the bag is clamped iirmly between plain surfaces or V- surfaces, which have no bolts through them, the bolts passing through holes in a ange outside of the ba-g-iiange, as shown in the drawings. Heretofore, in bag-presses, the rubber bags have either been shaped in the mold wherein the hat is to be pressed, and made hard enough to remain in the right shape; or theyhave been made of soft elastic rubber and stretched by the pressure of the water to conform to the shape of the hat. The hard bag being unsuitable for under curling the brims of hats, the soft bag was used, which had to be stretched under the brim and pulled out aga-in every time a curled hat was pressed, thus weakening the bag and rubbing the hat. Moreover, there was difficulty in entering the bag into the crown of the hat and laying it properly over the brim; also, in removing it from the hat after pressing, and the smutting of light-colored straw and felt hats by the rubbing of the diaphragm was a serious objection to the use of diaphragm-presses.

I have remedied these defects in the operation of the bag-press by placing within the cavity of the press-head, inside of the bag, a device that I call a shapingweight, and which has a peculiar mode of operation. This shaping-weight I make ofiron, or lead, or other suitable material heavier than the water or other liquid used with the bag, and of similar shape to the bag and the hat to be pressed, but smaller in the crown part, and wider between the crown part and the outer edge or curl of the brim part, which latter part turns over, surrounding the part of the bag that presses upon the hat-brim, and extends far enough downward to rest upon the circumferential part of the bag close to the clamp-ring, by which the bag is secured to the press-head. A hole through the tip part of the shaping-weight permits the water to pass freely between it and the bag. The shape of the shaping-weight should be such that thev part surrounding the brim will be large enough to leave one-eighth of an inch space between the rubber bag and the brim ofthe mold or die for the largest hat of a dozen, and the crown part small enough to leave one-eighth of an inch space between the rubber bag and the mold or the die for the smallest hat of a dozen. The whole weight of the shaping-weight resting upon the bag near the clamping-ring has a tendency to pull the bag down. There being no air inside of the bag the atmospheric air holds the bag up against the pressure of the shaping-weight, pressing the bag close to its lower surface and `compellin g the water to go up behind it. W'hen the hat is in the mold and the press-head is lowered there is consequently room enough for the bag to go into the crown and over the brim without rubbing. As soon as the bag touches the lower 'part of the press the shaping-weight is supported by the press, and the rubber-bag is gradually forced by the water from the weight and against the hat in the mold. Vhen the hat is pressed, and the press-head begins to lift, the first action of the water is to go from between the bag and shaping-weight to above and behind the shaping-weight, thus loosening the bag from the hat and mold before the whole bag begins its upward motion. Air grooves under the shell or mold admit air enough to cause the bag to withdraw from the mold and be pressed to the surface of the shapingweight before it moves upward.

Heretofore in bag-presses the mold or shell was made with a ilange to lit closelyin the clamping-ringwhichholds thebagtothepress-head,in order to support the bag and prevent it from breaking under the pressure, there being es many different molds used as shapes and sizes of hats. The shapes changing every season according to the fashion, the fitting of the molds was expensive. To remedy this defect I have fitted the lowerjaw ofthe press to the clamping-ring, so that it will pass up within the ring and make a close joint to support the bag in line with the joint ofthe clampingring to prevent it from bursting; and I also have made recess or socket in the lower jaw, in which the molds are placed, being supported by a ilan ge upon them, which is faced off underneath to rest upon the ilat upper surface of the lower jaw. It is therefore only necessary to face oft' the lower flange of the mold in order to it it to the press, and the molds can be removed and replaced readily. By thus forming the joint to protect the bag Outside of the joint of the mold, it is possible to make air-holes through the mold-joint down through the press, to admit air under the bag when it is lifted to loosen the bag, and prevent it from sticking to the hat and Inold. As the joint made by the lower part of the press within the clamping-ring to support the bag is always in the same position when the press-head is lowered, the rubber bag is always in its natural position when pressing the hat, and thus undue strain of the bag, caused by the use of different molds, is prevented.

The peculiar shape of the brim part of the bag, which surrounds the brim of the mold and extends down below the same, enables it to be pressed under the curl of the brim without stretching. I have further improved the bag-press by separating the brim from the crown part of the mold, used with the bag for pressing hats with stiff brims and soft crowns. The hat in this case is heated in an oven before it is put in the press; the crownmold is heated by the steam in the lowerjaw of the press, while the brim-pieces are kept cooler, sothat the drawing-out of the stitfening from the brimis avoided, while the crown, which has less stit'fening, is pressed in a heated mold to produce a fine, glossy finish.

I also make the brim-piece, thus separated from the crown-piece of the lnold, in two pieces, parted across the middle, when I use the press for the under-curlin g brims of hats, so that the brim-pieces may be removed with the hat, and can be taken out sidewise, and thus not disturb the curl of the brim after the hat is pressed, and also to give the hatter the opportunity to round the hat while upon the brim-mold.

It is often desir-able in pressing hats to heat the mold to a higher temperature than can be obtained from steam, and to avoid the uncleanliness of other modes of heating I have combined with the press a superheatin g apparatus to superheat the steam when a higher tempera-tnre is required. This apparatus consists of a small stove attached to the lower part ofthe the press, the steam-pipe passing through the stove-pipe on its way to the press. Any apparatus for superheatin g that can be used wit-h the press will answer, the object being merely to apply superheated steam to heating the molds when they are required to be heated to a higher temperature than can be obtained by heating with steam.

In the operation of a hat-press the die and diaphragm must be moved a sufficient distance from each other to permit the operator to introduce the hat into the die and remove it therefrom without distorting its shape when pressed. This requires a considerable movement of the press-head, which should be made rapidly, in order to save time, and such rapidity of motion is inconsistent with the necessarily slow motion of toggle-levers or other mechanical devices by which great pressure is applied. I have therefore combined with my press two mechanisms for operating it, one mechanism being used to lift and lower the press-head to permit of the introduction and removal of the hat, and the other mechanism to apply the pressure to the parts when the hat has been introduced into the die and the press-head lowered uponit, I have also combined with said mechanisms a reversing mech.- anism, so that the motion ofthe press-head is reversed at each end of the stroke, and may be automatically arrested at either the upper extremity' or the lower extremity of the movement of the press-head or be sulferedto reciprocate without arrest, as the operator may previously determine by adjustment of the reversing mechanism.

The accompanying drawings represent an automatic hat-press embodying my improvements.

Figure l represents a side elevationof the press with the press-head raised and the mold ready to receive a hat. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the press, showing the driving-pulleys and gear. Fig. 3 is a front elevation'of press, partly in section. Fig.4c is a plan View ofthe press. Fig. 5 is avertical longitudinal section through the middle of the press. Figs and 7 are enlarged sectional views of the presshead, showing the operation of the shapingweight. Fig. S is a detached view of one of the cams and toggle-levers of the pressing mechanism. Fig. 9 is a detached view of one ofthe cams and side levers of the lifting and lowering mechanism. Fig'. 10- is a side elevation of a mold with a separable brim part. Fig. 1l is a plain view, partly in section, of a mold with a separable brim part divided in the middle.

Letter a represents the frame of the press; b, the lower or stationary jaw of the press 5 b1, a steam-heating chamber in the lower jaw supplied with steam by the piperb?, an escape-pipe b3 being also connected with the steam-chamber. .Lhe steam-pipe b2 passes through the chimney b4 of a superheating-stove, b5, which may be used to super-heat the steam when required. A recess or socket, 116, in the lower jaw receives a die or mold7 c, in which ,the hat is placed to be pressed, the iiangec1 ofthe mold resting upon the tlat upper surface of the sta-` tion-ary jaw of the press, the mold being held in place by the set-screw c2. rlhe mold may be made in one piece, as shown in Fig. 5 5 or it may be made with a separate brim-piece for stift' brims, c3, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7; and this separate brim-piece may be made in two pieces, c4 c5, for under-curled hat-brims, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. Groovesc6 should be cut in the sides of the molds, or in the movable jaw next to the molds, as shown in Figs. l0 and 11, so that air enough can pass from below the molds, underneath the bag at the sides of the molds, to loosen the bag when it is about to be lifted. Letter d represents the press-head or movable jaw of the press d1, the concave or cavity within the press-head containing a conlined body of water or other similar iiuid for the purpose of supporting the bag under heavy pressure. Letter e represents the rubber bag or iiexible presser, firmly secured to the press-head by a clamping-ring, el, attached tothe press-headl by screw-bolts.

The bag e is clamped to the press-head by the`- clamping-ring. The clamping surfaces may be fiat, as in Figs. 6 and 7, or they may be V- shaped, asl shown in Fig. 5. The clamping surfaces which hold the bag are distinct from the part of the clamping-rin g, which is attached by screw-bolts to the head, there being a shoulder formed on the press-head, fitted to a flan ge, e2, upon the clamping-ring. The bag has no holes cut in it, as heretofore, to fit the bolts, and is easier to fit properly to the press than when eut with holes to t screw-holes, as in former presses. The lower jaw of the press is fitted to the clamping-ring, as shown at e3, Figs. 5, 6, and 7, so that when the press-head is at its lower extremity of motion,and the full pressure is upon the bag, the part of the bag next to the press-head is supported by the movable jaw, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. The concave in the press-head above the bagjoint is a little larger in diameter than the fixed jaw, so that in case the fixed jaw should come above the bag-joint it will not out off the bag. Letter f represents an open cistern for water, formed on top of the press-head, communicating with the concave within the press-headlby a screw-hole, g, Figs. 5, 6, and 7, which screw-hole may be stopped to confine the body of water within the press-head by a screw plugg, as in Fig. 5, orby safety-valve h, as in Fi'g. 6. The safety-valve is an ordinary globe-valve, h, with its valve-stem held down by a rubber spring, h1, adjusted by a pressure-screw, h2, to the required pressure. Letteri represents a metallic pressure-gage, which should be capable of indicating seven hundred pounds pressure, connected by a passage, i', with the cavity of' the press-head containing the confined body of water. Letterj, Fig. 5, represents the regulatin g-plun ger. It is made of iron or suitable metal, and fitted to a recess, jl, from which it can be projected more or less into the water-cavity a. of the press-head, by an adjusting-screw, j?. An India-rubber diaphragm, j3 protected by wiregauze j4, prevents the water from passing into the plunger-recess. Letter 7c, Figs. 6 and 7, represents a rubber spring confined between the regulating-plunger j and the diaphragm j, protected by the wire-gauzejf. The spring is compressed by the plunger-screw against the pressure of the water when the press is under pressure, so as to give the press capacity to yield a little under heavy pressure, to avoid injury to tender hats. When the press-head is lifted the diaphragm j, aided by the wire-gauzej, clamped with the diaphragm to the press-head, supports the plunger and resists the pressure exerted by the rubber spring.

Letter l represents the shaping-weight l1., the aperture in the tip part of the same for the water to pass to the bag outside the shaping-weight. The shaping-weight rests upon the bag-presser or diaphragm e, at l2. Fig. 6 shows the operation of the shaping-weight upon the bag in entering the hat to be pressed, and in retreating from it. Fig. 7 shows the shaping-weight supportedl by the lower part of the press, and the water forced between it and the pressing-bag or diaphragm. In these figures m represents a hat in the mold.

Having described the construction of the press-head and lower jaw ofthe press, I will now proceed to describe the mechanism by which the press-head is raised and lowered, and pressure applied to press the hat.

Letter n represents a main cam-shaft snpported in fixed bearings nl n2 in the side frames of the press, and driven by a countershaft, p, which is also supported by bearings p1 p2 in the side frames. The counter-shaft carries three belt-pulleys, one a tight pulley, p3, with a loose pulley, 194195, on each side, and is geared to the cam-shaft by a lantern-pinion, p0, which gears into and drives a large gearwheel, n3, fast to the cam-shaft. By operation of an automatic reversing mechanism, hereinafter described, the cam-shaft is turned one revolution in one direction, to lower the press-head and press the hat, and then reversed and turned one revolution in the reverse direction to raise the press-head, when it rests until again set in motion, unless the belt-shipping mechanism is adjusted to automatically reverse the motion in both directions. There are four cams attached to the cam-shaft, two of them being used for lifting and lowering the press-head, and the other two for applying the pressure to the presshead through toggle-levers. rlhe two cams q q nearest the side frames are scroll cams, which lift and lower the press-head through the side levers r r1, pivoted at r2 r3, and connected with the press-head by adjustable connecting rods r4 T5, the side levers being connected with the cams by roller-pins in the usual manner. When the press-head is lifted it is supported by the lifting-cams, but when it is lowered to its place they cease to support it, being only of such length as to lift and lower the press-head, and then leave the side levers f'ree from their action or control while the pressing mechanism is operating.

The pressing mechanism consists of the two cams s s1, and two toggles or knee-joints operated by the cams. Each of these toggles is composed of alever, s2, hinged to an arm or lever, s3, which is connected with its cam by a roller-pin, s, and pivoted at 85 upon a lug, s6, that projects downward from the under part of the fixed jaw of the press, so that when the levers s3 are raised by their cams they bring the joints of the toggles nearly in line, and cause the lower levers or members of the toggles to press with great force upon a horizontal cross-bar, t, connected with the press-head by vertical sliding rods t1 t2, which pass up through guide holes in the lower or fxedjaw of the press, and also through the press-head, being provided at their top ends with screw nuts t3 t4, which bear against the top of the press-head. The sliding rods which connect the cross-bar with the press-head also act as guides for the press-head, but not being confined to the press-head, except by the screw-nuts above, they are adjusted by said screw-nuts so as to hold the cross-bar at the proper point for the action of the toggle-lev- Vers upon it in pressing the hat.

In the operation of the press the cross-bar vt is raised. and lowered with the press-head,

and to prevent its upward movement being obstructed by the toggles, I have placed a toe or wiper,10, upon each ot' the upper levers s3 of the toggles, and another toe 0 upon each of the lower levers s2 of the toggles, the action of the toes being to move the lower levers out of the way of the cross-bar when the toggles have completed their pressing action and are released from the cross-bar by the lowering ot' the upper levers s3 connected respectively with the pressing-cams s sl, should the weight of the lower levers not be suiiicient to bring them back in place over the crossbar t. When the press-head is lowered a weight, t5, may be attached to an arm, t6, of each of the lower levers, as shown in the drawings. The lifting-cams are so arranged with relation to the pressing-cams that they lift and lower the press-head while the pressing cam is using its concentric surface to hold the toggle-levers out of the way of the crossbar, the pressing-cams acting, while the lifting mechanism is at rest and disengaged from its cams, to bring the toggles in place over the cross-bar, to apply the pressure through the -toggles to the cross-bar, and to remove the l toggles from -over the cross-bar. rlhe camshaft is automatically caused to make alternate revolutions in reverse directions by a reversing mechanism as follows: The tight pulley p3 on the countershai't p1 is alternately rotated in reverse directions by two drivingbelts, (not shown in the drawings) but which run in opposite directions, (one being a crossbelt.) indicated by the arrows upon theloose pulleys p4 and p5, and are controlled by the belt-guides 10 101 attached to a horizontal sliding shipper, 102, which slides in guides 103101 attached to the frame of the machine. Another sliding bar, 105, lies alongside of the shipper 102 and slides in the same guides. This sliding bar 105 is connected to the sliding shipper 102 by a hand-lever, 00, which is jointed to both by the pins 00l and 002. The other end ofthe hand-lever rests upon a horizontal supporting-stud, 004, upon which is placed an adjustable collar 005. There are two pins 006 007 placed in the sliding bar 105, one at each side of the lhand-lever, which alternately act upon Vthe hand-lever to canse it to move the shipper so as to throw the belt, which ma-y be on the tight pulley, over on its appropriate loose pulley, the sliding bar 105 being moved alternately` in reverse directions for that purpose by a bell-crank lever, y, connected by a slotted lilik, y1, with a weighted bell-craiiktumbling lever, y2, attached to a rocking shaft, ya, which is caused to vibrate alternately in reverse directions by the alternate action of the pins j vrock-shaft yf. It' the collar 005 werenot placed upon the stud which supports the end of the hand-lever,the belt-shippin g mechanism would cause the cam-shaft to stop at the end of every revolution, and the operator would have to throw on the proper belt to reverse the motion by using the hand-lever 5 but when the adjustable collar 005 is placed outside of the handlever, as shown in the drawings, the handlever is brought against the collar, which collar forming a fulcrum for said lever, causes it to move the shipper far enough to shift the belt from the loose pulley p5 over onto the tight pulley, and thus automatically reverse the motion of the cam-shaft, to lift the presshead to its extreme upper position, when the belt is thrown back on its loose pulley, and the motion ot' the cam-shaft is arrested. When the operator has removed the hat from the mold and replaced it by another, he starts the press by moving the hand-lever toward the side of the press.

Should it be desirable to stop the press at the lower extremity of motion of the presshead and reverse it automatically at the end of the upward stroke, the collar 005 must be shifted to the other side of the hand-lever; and should the press be required to reciprocate without stopping ateitber end of the stroke, another collar must be placed upon the supporting-stud on the opposite side of the hand-lever.

To prepare the press for pressing hats, a quantity ot' water is admitted inside ot' the press-head and bag through the safety-valve, which is then closed, and pressure applied to its spring by the pressure screw. The press is then brought together upon a hat, and it' the quantity of water confined in the presshead is too great for the pressure required, the safety-valve permits the surplus to escape into the cistern above, the pressure gage indicating to the operator the pressure attained by the press, so that he canrregulate the pressurespring of the safety-valve.

Inasrnuch as a very small quantity of water more or less in the cavity ot' the press-head makes agreat difference in the amount of pressure applied bythe press to the hat, a slight dii'- ference of adj ustm ent of the position ofthe regulating-plun ger will enable the operator to make a nice adjustment of the pressure. When the press is once adjusted for one hat, it requires no further adjustment for Apressing any number of hats ofthe same bulk, and the operator has only to place the hats in the mold and remove them when pressed, and to start the press when a hat is placed in the mold by moving the ham-lever of the belt-shipping mechanism toward the side of the press.

The safety-valve and the regula-tin g-plun ger are convenient attachments, but are not necessary to the practical and successful working of the press, as the pressure may be regulated by the admission or discharge of a small quantity ofthe water through a cock or other convenient opening provided with a closing device, as for instance, the screw plug in Fig. 5. Neither is the spring 7c necessary to the successful operation of the press, although useful in pressing tender hats; and, therefore, a desirable attachment. I do not wish to limit that part of my invention which consists in the employment of a confined body of water in combination with a press-head and bag and mold, that are operated by mechanical means to a press-head and bag which contains a shapin g-weight, although said shaping-weight is a great advantage to the press. Neither do I wish to limit said part of my invention to the special mechanical means described for operating the press-head, or to operating the press automatically.

Although I prefer to use the means described, it will be obvious that other mechanical devices, that are employed in presses for other purposes, may be substituted for those described and especially claimed by me in connection with the press-head, the press, nevertheless, containing the substance of said above-mentioned part of my invention. Moreover, I do not wish to limit my invention ofthe shapingweight to its employment in a bag-press operated by mechanical power, as it will be of great advantage to any bag-press.

I claim as of my invention and improvement in bag-presses for pressing hats and similar articles, wherein a iiexible bag or diaphragmpresser is used in connection with a moldl. In combination with the jaws of a press operated by a toggle or other suitable mech anical device, a flexible diaphragm bag-presser and a mold, substantially as described, the combination being such that the pressure to press the hat is caused by the movement of the movable jaw of the press toward the fixed jaw, in contradistinction to locking the presshead and mold together, and then applying the pressure directly to the diaphragm or bagpresser, as in former bag-presses.

2. In combination with a flexible diaphragm or bag-press, anda mold in thejaws of a press operated by a toggle or other suitable mechanical device, acontin ed body ofincom pressible matter possessing the requisite fluid-like character within the flexible diaphragm or presser, which acts as an inelastic but mobile cushion to support the iiexible diaphragm or bag-presser against the pressure ofthe press, and to cause it to conform to the mold, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a diaphragm or iixible bag-presser and a mold, in the jaws of a press operated by mechanical means, the adjustable regulating-plunger, whereby the determined pressure of the press is regulated by increasing or diminishing` the size of the chamber occupied by the confined body of water, substantially as hereinbefore described.

4. In combination with the diaphragm or 'flexible bag-presser and the confined body of water, a spring for protecting tender hats from the sudden action of thewholeforce of the press, substantially as hereinbefore described.

5. The safety-valve, in combination with the press-head and diaphragm, whereby the excess of water under aregulated determined pressuremayescape,substantiallyasdescribed.

6. In combination with the press-head and diaphragm or flexible bag-presser, the clamping-ring, when the clamping-surfaces are free from the clamping-bolts, substantially as described, so that the rubber diaphragm or iiexible bag-presser is not weakened by cutting holes for the bolts, as in former presses.

7. 'Ihe shaping-weight, in combination with the diaphragm or flexible bag-presser and the mold, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. rEhe lower jaw of the press fitted to the clamping-rin g of the press-head, substantially as described, whereby the ilexible diaphragmpresser is always supported at the proper point by the iixed jaw when pressing a hat, independently of the molds, substantially as hereinb'efore set forth.

9. rIhe peculiar construction of the brim part of the diaphragm or iiexible rubber bagpresser, which enables it to surround the brim of the mold and extend below the same to permit of being pressed under the curl of the brim without stretching, substantially as described and shown.

10. In combination with a diaphragm or flexible bag-presser, a mold made with the brim part separable from the crown part, substantially as and for the purposes described.

l1.. In combination with a diaphragm or flexible bag-presser, a mold in which the brim part is made in two pieces, separable from the crown part, substantially as and for the purposes described.

l2. In combination with a bag-press for pressing hats, heated by steam, a. superheating apparatus for superheating the steam on its way to the press, substantially as described.

13. In combination with the movable jaw or press-head, a flexible diaphragm or bagpresser, and the mold, the lifting and lowering mechanism, substantially as described.

14. In combination with the movable presshead, a flexible diaphragm or bag-presser, and the mold,alifting and loweringmechanism, anda pressing mechanism, substantially as described.

15. In combination with the movable jaw or' press-head, diaphragm, and mold, a lifting and lowering mechanism, a pressing mechanism, and an automatic reversing mechanism, substantially as described, whereby the motion of the lifting and lowering mechanism andthe pressing mechanismis reversed at each extremity ofthe movement ofthe press-head, and the action ofthe press-head arrested at the desired point, or suifered tc continue without intermission, substantiallyas described.

Witnesses: l It. EIGKEMEYER.

JOSEPH CAMPBELL, WVM. T. LETT. 

